On June 17, the world celebrates World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The theme of the day for 2022 is "Rising up from Drought Together". According to the UN official website, this year the celebration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought will take place in Madrid, Spain. Spain is vulnerable to drought, water scarcity and climate change.
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone that land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement and co-operation at all levels.
Droughts are among the greatest threats to sustainable development, especially in developing countries, but increasingly so in developed nations too. In fact, forecasts estimate that by 2050 droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population.
The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the two previous decades (WMO 2021). When more than 2.3 billion people already face water stress, this is a huge problem. More and more of us will be living in areas with extreme water shortages, including an estimated one in four children by 2040 (UNICEF). No country is immune to drought (UN-Water 2021).
Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts. It occurs because dryland ecosystems, which cover over one third of the world's land area, are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing and bad irrigation practices can all undermine the productivity of the land.
The UN is therefore calling on all members of the global community to treat the land as a limited and precious natural capital, prioritize its health in the pandemic recovery and push hard to restore the land during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Armenia is not void of desertification. According to the strategy for combating desertification in Armenia adopted in 2015, 48.8% of Armenia's territory is deserted, 24.3% is in the risk zone of desertification, and only 22.6% of the territory is not covered by desertification processes.
This year, the Ministry of Environment has made a video dedicated to World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Photo Credit: www.un.org
June 17, 2022 at 15:40